Today's wireless handheld devices incorporate one or more antennas in order to provide wireless voice and data capability. These onboard antennas are unfortunately susceptible to various types of electromagnetic interference. For example, when external accessories (such as a cable or a docking station) are coupled with a wireless handheld device, they can interfere with the operation of the antennas, thus impairing the wireless capabilities of the handheld device. This is undesirable, particularly in situations when a user of the handheld device wishes to have wireless connection available while an accessory is connected to the handheld device. For example, a user may wish to have the cellular phone capability of a handheld device available while the handheld device is docked in a docking station for purposes of playing music.
To further exacerbate matters, in an effort to minimize human exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy emitted by wireless handheld devices, some handset manufacturers have moved the antenna to a region of the wireless device that is farthest from the head of a user. In wireless handheld devices such as cellular phones, this often means placing the antenna at the base of the handset instead of near the top as is traditionally done. It is also desirable to house the connector (which serves as the interface for power and data transmission) at the base of the handheld device to enable docking the device in a docking system such as a stand-alone docking station, a cradle, or a Hi-Fi audio system with integrated docking capability. However, with the antenna and the connector in close proximity at the base of the handheld device, the potential for RF interference from an external accessory coupled to the connector becomes even greater.
While handheld device manufacturers take steps in the design of both the handheld device and its accessories to ensure that the accessories do not adversely impact the wireless performance of the handheld device, there are many other accessories including older versions of the manufacturers' own accessories that were designed without wireless capability in mind, as well as after-market accessories, that may adversely impact the wireless performance of the handheld device.
Additionally, there exist today many styles of handheld electronic devices as, for example, cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), media players (e.g., music player or video player), cameras, game players and the like. These devices come in various shapes and sizes (e.g., thickness, width and height). The size and shape is typically dependent on various form factors including, but not limited to, ease of use, ergonomics, aesthetics, and the size of the components inside or outside the device. While it is likely that different manufacturers may produce the same type of handheld electronic device with differing shapes and sizes, it is also likely that one particular manufacturer may produce different models of the same type of handheld electronic device with different shapes and sizes. Ensuring that all these various types and shaped of handheld devices can maintain proper antenna operation when coupled to various types of accessories would be advantageous.
Also, such devices currently require a physical connection to either a docking station, cable, or other device for battery charging and data transfer. The connectors used to make this connection can be awkward to use and require a user to properly align the handheld device to the connector.
Thus, there is a need for adapters, such as inserts and cable adapters, and docking stations that enhance the integrity of wireless communication with a handheld device when connected to an accessory. It is also desirable that at least some of these adapters and docking stations operate with a handheld device without using a physical connector.